Method and apparatus for improved gate lock

Abstract

Method and apparatus for a heavy duty lock designed for manual gates which is designed to be tamper proof, for universal mounting, for left and right hand applications and for use on swing gates and slide gates. The lock has a housing having a lock release mechanism having a release arm thereon which is suitable for use with a key which release arm manually contacts and slides a latch release slide upwardly and downwardly which then contacts a removable latch plate which in an open position allows the latch bar to be removed from the latch bar guide and cover so that the gate can be opened.

I claim: 
     
       1. A gate lock for locking a movable gate member to an upright gate post, comprising:
 a) a housing mounted onto the upright gate post, said housing having left and right apertures therein, wherein said left aperture is disposed on a first side portion of said housing and said right aperture is disposed on an second side portion of said housing; 
 b) a key operated lock mechanism disposed on an inside of said housing; 
 c) a pivoted latch plate disposed inside said housing, wherein said latch plate pivots between a first, lower position and a second, upper position in response to operation of said lock mechanism, and means biasing said latch plate into said first, lower position; 
 d) a latch bar having first and second opposing ends slidably disposed in said left and right apertures of said housing, and a plurality of spaced apart notches disposed on said latch bar, a hook disposed on said first end of said latch bar wherein said hook is adapted to partially encircle and thereby capturing a first movable gate member, each notch having a side wall intersecting a sloping bottom wall facing a distal tip end of said pivoted latch plate; 
 e) an extended trigger arm parallel with and spaced from said latch bar, and means biasing said trigger arm in a down position, said distal tip end of said latch plate being biased into engagement with said side wall of a notch in said latch bar thereby locking said latch bar and said hook in a locking position, said trigger arm adapted to engage an overhanging portion of said distal tip end of said latch plate when said trigger arm is raised; and 
 f) said key operated mechanism having a latch release slide to urge said trigger arm upwardly to raise said tip end of said latch plate to disengage said tip end from said notch to allow sliding of said latch bar and hook out of engagement with said first movable gate member thereby allowing said gate member to be opened. 
 
     
     
       2. The gate lock of  claim 1 , wherein said latch bar is capable of being inserted through said housing from either said first or said second side portion so that the gate lock is capable of securing either a right hand or a left hand gate. 
     
     
       3. The gate lock of  claim 2 , further comprising a cover being removably disposed on said housing, wherein said left aperture is disposed on a first side portion of said cover and said right aperture is disposed on a second side portion of said cover. 
     
     
       4. The gate lock of  claim 3 , further comprising first and second latch bar guides disposed inside said housing, wherein said first and second latch bar guides are co-aligned with said left aid right apertures disposed on said cover, wherein said latch bar is slidable through said first and second latch bar guides so that said notches are capable of contacting said latch plate to permit said latch bar to be secured to said housing. 
     
     
       5. The gate lock of  claim 4 , further comprising a latch release slide having a latch plate release thereon, wherein said latch release slide moves in response to operation of said lock mechanism and said latch plate moves in response to movement of said latch release slide. 
     
     
       6. The gate lock of  claim 5 , wherein said latch plate is pivotally mounted on an axle so as to be reversible for use with either a right hand or a left hand gate. 
     
     
       7. The gate lock of  claim 6 , wherein a first set of said notches are disposed on a first surface of said latch bar and a second set of said notches are disposed on a second surface of said latch bar so that said latch bar is capable of operating with either a right hand or a left hand gate. 
     
     
       8. The gate lock of  claim 7 , further comprising a second hook disposed on said housing for attachment to a second movable gate member so that said housing is mounted onto said second movable gate member thereby allowing the gate lock to operate with a double gate having first and second movable gate members. 
     
     
       9. The gate lock of  claim 8 , wherein the gate lock is adapted for use with either a sliding gate or a swinging gate. 
     
     
       10. A method for a gate lock for locking a movable gate member to an upright gate post, comprising the steps of:
 a) mounting a housing onto the upright gate post, the housing having left and right apertures therein so that the left aperture is disposed on a first side portion of the housing and the right aperture is disposed on a second side portion of the housing; 
 b) providing a key operated lock mechanism inside the housing; 
 c) disposing a pivoted latch plate inside the housing, wherein the latch plate pivots between a first lower position and a second upper position in response to operation of the lock mechanism, and biasing said latch plate into said first lower position; 
 d) providing a latch bar having first and second opposing ends slidably disposed in said left and right apertures of said housing, and a plurality of spaced apart notches on said latch bar, and disposing a hook on the first end of said latch bar wherein the hook partially encircles and thereby capturing a first movable gate member, each notch having a side wall intersecting a sloping bottom wall facing a distal tip end of said pivoted latch plate for engagement; and, 
 e) providing an extended trigger arm parallel with and spaced from said latch bar, and means biasing said trigger arm in a down position, said distal tip end of said latch plate being biased into engagement with said side wall of a notch in said latch bar thereby locking said latch bar and said hook in a locking position, said trigger arm adapted to engage an overhanging portion of said distal tip end of said latch plate when said trigger arm is raised; and 
 f) said key operated mechanism having a latch release slide to urge said trigger arm upwardly to raise said tip end of said latch plate to disengage said tip end from said notch to allow sliding of said latch bar and hook out of engagement with said first movable gate member thereby allowing said gate member to be opened. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the latch bar is capable of being inserted into and through the housing from either the first or the second side portion so that the gate lock is capable of securing either a right hand or a left hand gate. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing a removable cover on the housing so that the left aperture is disposed on a first side portion of the cover and the right aperture is disposed on a second side portion of the cover. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of disposing first and second latch bar guides inside the housing, wherein the first and second latch bar guides are co-aligned with the left and right apertures on the cover, wherein the latch bar is slidable through the first and second latch bar guides so that the notches are capable of contacting the latch plate to permit the latch bar to be secured to the housing. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of providing a latch release slide having a latch plate release thereon, wherein the latch release slide moves in response to operation of the lock mechanism and the latch plate moves in response to movement of the latch release slide. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the latch plate is pivotally mounted on an axle so as to be reversible for use with either a right hand or a left hand gate. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein a first set of the notches are disposed on a first surface of the latch bar and a second set of the notches are disposed on a second surface of the latch bar so that the latch bar is capable of operating with either a right hand or a left hand gate. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of disposing a second hook on the housing for attachment to a second movable gate member so that the housing is mounted onto the second movable gate member thereby allowing the gate lock to operate with a double gate having first and second movable gate members. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the gate lock is adapted for use with either a sliding gate or a swinging gate.